Lost
by sw33tn38
Summary: Going to a good school, finding a job, and living life was all what Ame asked for. Now, in an entirely different world from her own,she must find a way through her long dead past to bring herself home. Will she make it or be forever trapped? Language Rate
1. The Plan

A/N: This is my first Naruto Fiction. I don't own the characters from Naruto, but I own everything else. Ame, my alter ego, is also mine.

Chapter One: The Plan

"_Jackson! Jackson! Come quick, I think I've finally done it!" shouted a voice in a relatively small laboratory. Power cords and computer screens twisted and nearly dominated the place. Shelves full of inventions with enough potential to win about a hundred nobel prizes stood calmly in the middle of the room. A man who looked to be about twenty-two peeked out from under his latest invention. Thinking that Jackson hadn't heard him, he called him again, "JAAAAAAAACKSOOOOOOON!"_

_Another man, who had pepper and salt hair, angrily strode over to his lab partner in annoyance. With a glare he answered in a low voice, "What is it this time ?"_

"_Come see Jackson!" said the man as if he hadn't heard the tone of anger in his partner's voice. "I think I've finally been able to make an invention that can transport anybody into any dimension or universe he or she would desire. Of course, I haven't tested it yet, but--"_

"_--That is impossible," said Jackson. "There is only one universe. You can't transport from one universe to something that doesn't exist!"_

_Shaking his head, the man asked, "But has it truly ever been proven that there is only one universe?"_

"_W-well, erm --no," Jackson stuttered. "But I think that this is one experiment that you should leave alone. And think with common sense for a moment, Daemon! If there was any error--- any at all--- the world could possibly be in danger. We'd never hear the end of it! Our careers could both be ruined, forever! Then where would we be?"_

_With a frown, Daemon began to pout, "But this could be our chance to finally get rich for once! We could make a difference in this world!" At this, Jackson began to laugh._

"_And how exactly would this new invention do that?" he asked._

"_Well, we could sell it to the government and they can use the device to make bases in a different dimension in case there is some kind of war going on. AND if our world was in danger, we can just move our people to another dimension and keep them safe," said Daemon, as-a-matter-of-factly._

_Jackson raised an eyebrow and blinked. He didn't expect the kid to come up with a logical reason this invention could be useful in his world. Seeming more interested, he studied the hunk of metal with narrowed eyes._

_Turning to Daemon, he asked, " You're sure it works?"_

_Blushing, Daemon replied, "Well, no…but if we find a good test subject, perhaps something with more intelligence than a monkey, we may be able to find out if there really is another universe out there faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"_

_Jackson let out a small gasp. "Are you suggesting that we use a human being as a test subject?"_

_A menacingly determined smile crept on his face as Daemon replied, "I might be."_

_Jackson turned his attention back on the machine that could possibly make his partner and himself millionaires. He sighed away his doubts and muttered, "Let's get to work!"_


	2. New Job

Chapter Two: New Job

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!

_Shit! I gotta get to my next class or this time Dino-sensei will really kill me! _Ame thought as she raced from the third floor of her school to get to the gym on the first floor.

She dodged numerous crowds of freshmen with their humongous backpacks. She broke through slow walking couples and couples that stuck their tongues so far down each others throats it was amazing they didn't choke.

"Ugh…get a room people. Geez!" she muttered as she made her way to the locker room.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!

With a roar of speed that she never knew she had, Ame shot past all the people and made it to her locker. Like lightning, she got dressed and went straight for the gym. She had one second left. Her hand was almost touching the door when..

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!

Final bell. She was so screwed.

Nnnaaarrruuutttooosssaaasssuuukkkeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaakkkaaakkkaaassshhhiii

"Uchitsu-san, YOU ARE LATE!" Dino bellowed, smiling evilly. "You DO know what this means now, right?"

Slumping slightly, Ame muttered, "Hai, Dino-sensei…Detention right?"

Still smiling he said, "HAI!"

Sssaaasssuuukkkeeeuuuccchhhiiihhhaaasssaaakkkuuurrraaahhhaaarrruuunnnooo

After about an hour of hard workouts and exercises, Ame staggered back to the locker room. She stayed under the shower for about another 10 minutes.

_ARGH! I was SOOO close too! Damn Dino-sensei and his killing workouts!_ Ame mentally growled. Because she was late, now she had to serve another detention with Barney the Dinosaur (at least, that's what the students called him behind his back). Her mother would definitely not be pleased. Not that Ame truly cared. If only she hadn't made that promise all those years ago.

flashback

"_Ame-chan, promise me that you will be happy and that while I'm gone you will keep your mother happy," a man with a dark green uniform filled with stripes asked._

_Tears blinding her sight, a five-year-old Ame whispered "All right Otou-san. I will try my hardest."_

_The man smiled and hugged little Ame and Ame squeezed her daddy so tight. _

"_Otou-san?" she asked._

"_Yes, Ame-chan?"_

"_When will you be back?" _

"_When this horrid war is over…until then, keep yourself and your okaa-san happy for me ok?" The man let go of little Ame and stood up. He grabbed his suitcase and headed out the door and into his new life of war. _

"_Ok, otou-san….aishiteiru," Little Ame whispered, fighting back tears._

end flashback

She didn't cry about the memory. No. She was through with crying. He was gone and that was that.

"HEY! AME-CHAN! ARE YOU DONE YET!" yelled a high-pitched voice from the locker room door.

"Dammit," Ame muttered. "I can never fuckin' relax…I swear…"

"AME-CHAN!" yelled the voice again.

"ALL RIGHT ALREADY! I'll BE there in a MINUTE!" Ame hollered. Muttering a string of curses under her breath, she got out of the shower and got dressed. Getting out of the locker room, she glared at a girl with light brown hair and bright green eyes. She had artificially tan skin and wore a white skirt and a White Sox jersey (from her cousin in America). She wore her hair scrunched into wild curls and had black leather boots on. Ame growled at the girl.

"Kumi-chan, you do that again, you'll find dead rats in your locker," she growled again.

"GOMEN!" Kumiko fake gasped and pouted. "I never thought I was talking to a kami!"

Ame glared some more. "I never SAID I was a kami. Just don't do that again, OK?"

Putting her hands up in surrender, Kumiko sighed. "Ok, ok…. I give. So what's _really_ been bothering you?"

Ame sighed. "Dino-sensei no baka. I have another detention with him again."

"Late again…tsk, tsk. What's your mom going to say?" she asked mockingly.

Laughing, she mimicked her mother, "'You'll never get into a good college with your behavior and you'll never become successful!' Yeah, most likely that one. She just LOVES putting that one in my face."

Kumiko giggled. "Yeah…it seems like she's been saying that one for weeks now. You'd think she'd come up with something a bit more original!"

"Yeah, you have NO IDEA how annoying it is just to hear that whiney voice interrupt your every movement. It just makes me wish I had a mute button on her or something…ugh."

Kumiko and Ame both began to walk to Ame's locker. It was on the third floor in A hallway.

"Hmm….maybe you should get a job," Kumiko suggested. Ame frowned.

"As what? All the good jobs are taken!" Ame said, frustrated. Then there was an awkward silence.

"Well, maybe you'll find a job somewhere," Kumiko said once they were at Ame's locker.

"But _where_?" Ame whined.

"I dunno! Look in the paper!" Kumiko yelled and stomped away.

_Geez…what's her problem? I just asked her a simple question._ Ame sighed._ Well whatever. She's right though. I SHOULD just look through a paper…._

Nnnaaarrruuutttooohhhiiinnnaaatttaaattteeennnttteeennnnnneeejjjiiikkkaaakkkaaassshhhiii

Staggering into her apartment she flung her backpack onto the floor. _Damn…why does this thing always have to weigh about thirty kilos?_ She thought as she sighed.

Walking over to her kitchen, she opened a can of soda and slowly sipped on it. A small shuffling could be heard from behind her. Ame slowly turned around and lazily looked at her mother. Her mom was wearing a small flowered apron with kanji on the front that said 'best cook'. Her arms were folded and she had a calculating look on her face.

"Where were you?" she asked. " I thought you would be home earlier."

Not wanting to hear a speech just then and there, Ame said " I was job hunting mom."

Frowning, her mom just replied, " I thought we agreed you wouldn't have to work until you were on your way to college."

Sweating just a little, Ame said , "Well, mom. It's like you said. I have to learn responsibility in order to take care of myself later in life… that _is_ what you said right?"

Her mom brightened almost immediately. "Sugoi…so you _were_ listening!"

Ame rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Whatever. So, I'm going to be busy ok?"

"Alright!" Her mom said all too bubbly. It gave Ame shivers.

"Ok then…so no spying on me ok?"

"Oh, alright! Just make sure that you get a good job!" her mom said. With that, Ame left for her room.

Instead of looking at the regular newspaper, Ame went online and looked at an interesting website that had a wanted ad in it.

**Help Wanted!**

**Don't have much experience, but still looking for a job? Call us at (798)826-4583.**

Ame printed the ad out and pulled out her cell phone. She called the number. When the phone began to ring, her heart beat faster and faster until "Moshi moshi, Fukisho Lab. Dr. Jackson speaking, how may I help you?"

Ame stuttered out of nervousness " A-ano…I just c-called for that job t-that you h-had o-on your w-website."

There was a long pause. Then, " Oh, yes of course! We have a need for somebody to clean our lab equipment! Would you like the job?"

"Uh, how much does this job require?" Ame asked.

"Not too much, exactly. Just common sense and good coordination. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes, of course," Ame replied.

"Well then, would you like the job?"

"How much does this pay exactly?"

Again, there was a long pause. There was some shuffling and muttering in the background, then a sigh. "2000 yen per hour, and nothing more."

Ame's eyes widened considerably and she almost lost the grip on her phone. (A/N: LOL! Like this O.O)

"Miss? Are you still there?"

"Huh? Oh, erm, yes!"

"So would you like the job?"

"_When do I start_?" Ame squeaked.

The man on the other line chuckled. "In two days would be excellent, if you can manage that…"

"_Oh! Yes sir! Thank you!" _she squeaked again. She would have said more, but the man on the other line hung up.

_How rude,_ she thought. _But who cares? I got a kick ass new job! _


	3. To clean or not to clean?

Chapter 3: To Clean or Not to Clean?

"GOOOOOOOOD MORNING!" the menace called the alarm clock announced.

"Today we will be expecting sunny blue skies, in the low 70s! The rest of the week will be--"

SLAM!

Ame's hand still on the off button, she slowly began to get up. She took one long glance at the clock and growled. "It's not even 8:00, yet," she moaned. "I'll just close my eyes just a little bit more and--"

"AME-CHAN! YOU BETTER BE GETTING READY! YOU HAVE A JOB REMEMBER!" her mom called from across the hall. Groaning, Ame got out of her bed and started to get dressed.

Nnnaaarrruuutttoookkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiisssaaasssuuukkkeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaanneejjii

"You'd think that she'd just let me sleep for at least 3 minutes! UGH!" Ame mumbled under her breath. Rubbing her eyes, Ame walked down the steps of her house and headed for the nearest bus stop.

After about 45 minutes, she saw the bus coming. Quickly shoving her hand in her pocket to grab her bus pass, she pulled it out. The bus stopped a couple feet in front of her and she showed the driver her pass. When she found a comfortable seat, she started to fidget.

_I wonder how this new job's gonna be like, _she thought as the bus started moving towards her destination.

Nnneeejjjiiirrroooccckkkllleeettteeennnttteeennnccchhhooojjjiiissshhhiiinnnooo

Fifteen minutes later, Ame finally stepped off the bus and started walking to the building her new boss directed her to a couple days earlier. The building had a western antique look to it, with blue shutters and bright teal paint. The steps leading to the inside of the place looked worn and there was a torn woven welcome mat in front of the door.

"Wow…This looks just like some kind of old house," she murmured. She stepped inside. The place looked so deserted that a random tumbleweed blew around. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that the place was abandoned and that she was just fooled.

"Ah, you must be Ame-san," said a pleased voice from behind her. A man with long brown hair stood there, with a big smile plastered on his face.

Ame just looked at him with shocked eyes. Then asked, "How did you know?"

"I do believe you spoke with Dr. Jackson correct?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"….Yes…" she said hesitantly. "Are you him?"

Chuckling he said, "Oh, heavens no! I'm Dr. Daemon. You may call me Daemon if you like."

"Uh…ok…"she spoke again, hesitantly. _He looks so_ young_! Maybe he's Dr. Jackson's assistant?_ Ame thought.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You can put your coat over there," he said as he pointed to a rusty coat rack in the corner.

"Ok," she replied as she moved to take off her coat and put it on the rack.

Throughout the rest of the time, Daemon (or as he insists to be called) gave Ame a tour of the place. He even showed her all of his previous inventions that cluttered his office like a dirty chicken coop.

"Sugoi," she said. "You have so many inventions…how come you never showed this to the media?"

No longer smiling, Daemon averted his eyes from her gaze and replied in a sad monotone, "I did…but they don't believe in my ideas."

Sensing this was a topic that she should stay away from, Ame stayed quiet. After a few moments of awkward silence, she got back to business.

"So what is it exactly that I have to clean?" she asked.

"That machine over there," he said as he pointed to the said project. (A/N: This is NOT the invention Daemon and Jackson were working on in the beginning of the story…although, you WILL see that later, I pwomise! -)

It was fairly large and looked like it could fit about a hundred people in it. With wide eyes, she stared at it. She stared and stared for long time until she heard her new boss cough behind her.

"Your cleaning supplies are in that drawer over there," he said as he pointed. "If you should need any help, then just yell for one of us ok?"

"YES SIR!" she saluted him. He chuckled and walked away.

Taking out a rag and some window cleaner from the drawer at which Jackson pointed, Ame went to work. She began with wiping the windows, then the screens, and eventually, the whole inner part of the machine. _I wonder what these machines do,_ she wondered. _Daemon-san has so many of them. Maybe they're for some kind of purpose? _she sighed. Wetting the rag again with the cleaner, she began to start on the outside off the machine.

_Well, whatever the purpose, I really don't care_ she shrugged.

Nnnneeejjjiiihhhiiinnnaaatttaaasssaaakkkuuurrrraaannnaaarrruuutttooonnneeejjjiii

For the next five weeks, Ame's job became easier for her. She learned where everything was and cleaned over twenty of Daemon and Dr. Jackson's inventions. There was only one rule that she was told, and that was to never ever look at an invention without either Daemon or Dr. Jackson knowing. "It's dangerous," Dr. Jackson had said.

"Alright Jackson-san," she said in a bored monotone. " I will make sure to ask you before I look at an invention."

"Good," he said. "Now--"

"JAAAAAAAAAACKSON!" yelled a voice from the room behind them.

"--I will be getting back to work. Please clean that helmet over there…and DO be careful not to touch any of the buttons!" With that, he was gone.

Annoyed, she mumbled, "Hai, okaa-san." She pulled out a rag and dabbed some cleaner on it. Again, she continued her work.

Sssaaasssuuukkkeeetttsssuuunnnaaadddeeekkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiinnneeejjjiiillleeeeee

After about an hour, she had at last finished cleaning the very complicated helmet of doom (at least, that's what she called it, because it had so many nooks and crannys to clean).

Setting the project down on one of the shelves, she peered around. Seeing that Daemon and Dr. Jackson weren't around, she wandered. She browsed the shelves and finally came to a very dark corner. There was a lump with a big linen blanket covering it. Just a tad curious, she peeled off the sheet and saw a sphere. This sphere looked much like a steel version of a beach ball, but with the buttons and control switches attached, it looked more like a beach ball robot. _Hmm….I wonder what this is?_ She thought to herself. _Maybe I should clean it, I mean…it IS part of my job isn't it?_ Looking at the sphere she smirked._ Yeah, maybe Daemon-san and Mr. Cranky Pants will let me have a raise for cleaning so well. _she thought as the smirk turned into a small evil smile.

_Let's see…._she thought as she stepped inside the sphere. _I wonder what these controls are._ She ran her fingers over one of the switches.

SLAM! Click….!

…_! OH NO! I'm locked in here! What's Daemon and Dr. Jackson going to KILL me! _She thought frantically. Running to the place where she entered, she tried to pull and push open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

_Fuck! Ok…let's see if one of these switches will open the door _she thought. Finding a green button, she pressed it. The machine gave a cold shudder. A blinding flash of light shined on the screen. Ame threw up her hands to block the light, and then…..

…it all stopped.


	4. Toto, we're not in Kansas Anymore

Chapter 4: Toto, We're not in Kansas Anymore

The machine gave a small THUD, and the door clicked open. Ame moved the hands away from her face and stared out the door. She was in a forest, in the middle of the afternoon. Taking a deep whiff of the air, Ame could smell the fresh pine and dew, like the smell right after it rains.

_Mmm…wow. It's been a LONG time since I smelled anything so fresh before. Unless you count the time Kumi-chan almost killed the entire class by spraying a bunch of air freshener on herself! _She thought as she giggled immensely at the memory. Stepping out of the machine, she took a better look at her surroundings. She whistled low.

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore," she murmured. Taking more and more steps away from the machine, she realized that she was in deep trouble..

_Oh crap! What am I going to do now? I don't even know where I am! What'll my boss's say? Oh no! What will my MOM say once she realizes I didn't come home! _

CRACK!

Ame froze. Darting her eyes around, she could see nothing but endless trees. She couldn't see anything, and before she knew it, rough hands shoved her against a tree with sharp metal pressed against her throat.

"Who are you? State your business here!" A young and sharp voice bellowed. (A/N: Bet ya can't guess who it is!) Ame looked up at her attacker. Then she looked away without a reply.

"You can answer me, or you can die. Now choose, which would you prefer? Or would you rather I just kill you now?" Her attacker said in a deathly calm tone. Looking back, Ame just blinked. The attacker pushed the metal harder on her throat and she felt a trickle of blood go down her neck.

"Ok already! My name is Uchitsu Ame. I came here by accident. Please! All I want to do is go home! I'm lost and I--"

"You're lying!" the attacker growled.

"No! I'm not! Look, I'll prove it to you! There's a machine in the forest… I'll lead you straight to it! Just please don't kill me!" she begged, tears starting to leak a bit.

"Now that's quite enough Hyuuga-san," said a man with shiny silver hair and an almost fully concealed face.

"Kakashi-san," he said, at an almost scary monotone. "I found this girl wandering around and--"

"Yes, of course. We must report this to the Hokage immediately," Kakashi said and began to lead the way straight to her office.

Nnneeejjjiiihhhiiinnnaaatttaaannnaaarrruuutttoookkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiittteeennnttteeennn

"Hmm…I see," Tsunade replied as she listened Ame's story. She tapped her fingers on her fairly neat desk. Ame sighed in relief. It was a very long story to tell.

"Uchitsu-san, I think I somewhat believe your story, but just to be on the safe side, I think it's best if you remain grounded for a few days," she said to Ame.

"What? Grounded? You mean like, locking me up somewhere?"

"That's precisely what I mean."

"But Hokage-sama… what about my machine?" Ame asked. _If it gets destroyed, Jackson and Daemon will SURELY fire me! And I haven't even gotten my first paycheck yet!_

"Oh, yes…about that. Kakashi-san. Call for your students please," said Tsunade. "You have 20 minutes."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," said Kakashi he bowed and left.

"You are dismissed, Hyuuga-san," said Tsunade.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," and with that, he too left.

20 minutes later

"OI! OLD HAG! WHAT'D YOU CALL US IN FOR THIS TIME! IT HAD BETTER BE A JUICY MISSION! " yelled a voice as the office door banged open.

"Shut up, dobe.…you're making my ears bleed," replied a cold voice.

"Oh, both of you…stop it!" another voice piped. Coming through the door was a blonde boy with blue eyes and an orange jumpsuit, another boy with raven hair and onyx eyes and dark attire, and a girl with pink hair and bright emerald eyes. Kakashi followed behind the group.

All three of Kakashi's students looked pretty annoyed. Tsunade cleared her throat and announced, " Team 7, please introduce yourselves to our new guest, Miss Uchitsu Ame."

The girl stuck out her hand and smiled, ignoring the boys, "Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you."

After shaking her hand, Ame could see that this girl was very innocent, but a very hard worker. Definitely not shy, and very friendly. Ame shook her hand and smiled back.

"Nice to meet you, too," she replied.

Next, the blonde spoke with a very foxy grin, " I'm Naruto Uzumaki and that cold bastard over there," he pointed to the raven haired boy, " is Uchiha Sasuke."

"Uh, nice to meet you," said Ame. Then she frowned. _Why isn't that raven haired boy just talking for himself?_

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked Tsunade.

"Yeah! Do you have a mission for us! OH! Is it high level one? I hope so because--"

"Shut it, dobe and listen will you?" Sasuke hissed.

"Hmph, fine." Naruto pouted.

Rolling her eyes, Ame sighed. _Wow, these people are so strange._

"Ok, Listen up, because I'm only saying this once. This is a b-class mission--"

"YES!" cheered Naruto and Sakura.

"--Your mission is to find a particular machine in the forest. Our guest seems to have lost it and she doesn't know where it is, except that it's in the forest. Is there anything you would like to add Miss Uchitsu?"

Blinking, she looked at the group. Their eyes seemed to bore right into hers. A little nervous, she stuttered, "W-whatever y-you d-do..don't t-touch the buttons, and be VERY careful n-not to b-break it."

"Geez, Uchitsu-san's about as stuttery as Hinata-chan, ne?" muttered Sakura.

"Hn." said Sasuke, looking away and staring into space.

"Alright, Team 7," said Tsunade. "You're dismissed."

"Yes Hokage-sama." said the group (including Kakashi) with a bow, and they left.

nnneeejjjiiihhhiiinnnaaatttaaasssaaasssuuukkkeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaakkkaaakkkaaassshhhiii

After the group left, Tsunade summoned another man back to her office, and he led her down a dark hallway.

Opening the cell, the man let her walk inside. When she walked all the way to the corner, he slammed the door, locked it, and left.

Ame inspected her cell. It was damp and a little bit dirty from the last person that was there. She noticed a bowl of dirty water in the corner and a rotten apple core next to it. She sighed. _At least I know they won't starve me here._

She found a small dark corner and huddled into it, searching for warmth. By now, it was nearly evening and the sun wasn't around to give her warmth. Tired from the stress, she drifted off to sleep._ I wonder what everyone's doing at home…_

Tttsssuuunnnaaadddeeekkkuuurrreeennnaaaiiikkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiigggaaaiiiaaasssuuummmaaa

"Jackson?"

"Yes?"

"Where's Ame?"

"She's cleaning."

"No-- she's not. I don't think she's here." Daemon replied. Then his eyes widened.

"You don't think she…?"

Jackson paused in his work and stared at Daemon. "…she could have. Teenagers these days usually think the opposite when they're told 'don't.'"

Daemon ran to the room to where he saw Ame working just a few hours before. She was nowhere to be seen. Jackson, on the other hand, was looking for the project that they were working on for the next science competition (A/N: this is the invention that they were making in chapter 1!). When he noticed it, too was missing, he shouted, "DAEMON! WE'VE GOT A VEEEEEEEEEEERY BIG PROBLEM!"

Daemon ran over to Jackson. Seeing the missing machine, he held his head in his hands. "Let's just pray that she's not lost in a random dimension and can't come back…"

_**Oh, the irony…**_


	5. Trust and Search Parties

Chapter 5: Trust and Search Parties

"UGH! WHERE IS KAKASHI-SENSEI?" Naruto said loudly while yawning.

"I guess he's just late again …as usual," Sakura sighed running a hand through her hair.

"…" said Sasuke. He stared at the forest. _I wonder what this machine does….To have made this a b-mission, it must be a really valuable machine…. Maybe that girl is some kind of alien from outer space? _He thought as he chuckled inwardly at his own little joke. _But why is it I have this feeling that I've heard her name once before? _He wondered. _I WILL FIGURE THIS GIRL OUT!_

POOF!

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! YOU ARE LATE!" yelled Sakura and Naruto together.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Kakashi smiled and said, "Yeah, sorry about that. I was teaching little mice how to dance the Macarena."

"LIAR!" They both shouted again.

Ignoring them, Kakashi said, " Ok, team. I've decided to make this mission a test. You will split up and go in different directions."

He handed each of them whistles. "You must find the machine on your own using your own skills. Once you find the machine, blow the whistle. Then, wait for the rest of the team to show up. I'll give you further instruction later. Any questions?"

Sakura raised her hand. " Um… is this a race Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi thought for a moment, then smiled. (A/N: LoL! Like one of those really creepy smiles!)

"I wasn't really thinking of that, but now that you mention it…that would make matters more interesting…."

"ALRIGHT!" yelled Naruto, with his fists clenched at his sides. "Whoever shows up last has to treat us all to whatever dish we want!"

And the race began….

Nnnaaarrruuutttoookkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiisssaaasssuuukkkeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaannneeejjjiii

"_Ame! School!" said a woman's voice from downstairs._

"_I know mom! I'm on it!" Ame muttered. Didn't her mom know she could take care of herself?_

_Ame glanced at the clock and saw the time. She had precisely ten minutes to get to school. Storming with a blurring speed, she ran down the stairs and to the kitchen. Her mom stood with a plate of onigiri waiting for her. Taking one, Ame took a bite and ate while she put her jacket and shoes on. _

"_Bye Mom! I'm going!"_

"_Ok! Love you!"_

"_Love you too mom!"_

"_Study hard, ok?"_

"_MOM!"_

"_Right, right, sorry. Have a fun day at school then!"_

Ame awoke feeling chilly. "Why am I so cold? Where's my room?" she quietly asked herself. Then it all came back to her in a rush. She started to feel so homesick.

"I wonder what mom and Kumi-chan are doing right now," she chanted, as if it was a mantra that kept her homesickness at bay.

Nnneeejjjiiihhhiiinnnaaatttaaattteeennnttteeennnrrroooccckkkllleeeeeeaaasssuuummmmaaa

A loud scream of a whistle broke the afternoon silence of the forest. Sakura smiled and leaned against the machine slightly. _Cool! I'm first! Maybe now, Sasuke-kun will notice how fast and smart I am!_ She thought, then sighed. _I bet they're both on their way right now…. I wonder what they'll say!_

Sure enough, about thirty minutes later, she could see a small dot of blue and orange. _Oh, it seems like they met up on the way!_

"Ah, good. Everybody's almost here," said a voice behind Sakura.

"!…. Kakashi-sensei! Don't sneak up on me like that!" screeched Sakura.

"Haha! You should've seen the look on your face!" Laughed Kakashi, oblivious to Sakura's death glare.

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes.

Sssaaasssuuukkkeeennnaaarrruuutttooossshhhiiikkkaaammmaaarrruuuccchhhooojjjiii

"Sasuke-teme! I will not lose to you!" growled Naruto. He and Sasuke were neck in neck. They saw the bright sparkle of the machine sped up.

"Right, in your dreams, DEAD-LAST!" Sasuke snarled back as he sprinted to the machine, leaving Naruto six centimeters in his dust.

"Damn you, Sasuke-teme," Naruto mumbled.

When everybody was at the machine, he yelled, "I'M NOT BUYING!"

"YES YOU ARE!" Sakura yelled back at him.

"But Sakura-chan," he pouted, "I'm broke."

At this everybody either face-faulted or sweat dropped.

"BAKA! Then why didn't you say that earlier?" said Sasuke.

"…" said Naruto.

"Ok, well.. Let's get to work. We have to bring this back to Konoha somehow…" said Kakashi, changing the subject.

"I have an idea, but we'll have to ask for a wagon of some sort," said Sakura. (A/N: Anybody notice she's the only one focused on the mission?)

"Good thinking, Sakura," said Sasuke.

"You really think so, Sasuke-kun?" she looked at him a little bit teary-eyed._ FINALLY! Wait until Ino-pig finds out I got a compliment from Sasuke-kun!_

"Well….unless anybody else has a better suggestion, then yes."

"O-ok.. So, who'll be the one to send for a wagon?" asked Kakashi.

"Who needs a wagon? I could just carry it myself!" said Naruto as he picked up the machine.

Everybody stared. His arm started to wobble from the weight. "Don't Naruto! You might--"

CRASH!

"--break…it…" Sakura warned. But it was too late. Everybody stared with wide eyes at the pieces of what used to be the machine. Naruto shrank.

"Eheh….oops," he said.

"We….are….so….DEAD," said Sakura.

Tttsssuuunnnaaadddeeekkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiikkkuuurrreeennnaaaiiiaaasssuuummmaaagggaaaiii

"99 bottles of milk on the wall, 99 bottles of milk. Take one down, pass it around….AHH! Forget it! I'm so BORED! GEEZ! They could've at least left me some magazines or something!" Ame ranted. The quiet was peaceful, she had to admit, but after about 5 hours of silence, she began to go crazy.

As Ame ranted, the door to her cell opened. She turned around and saw Tsunade staring at her.

"Oh! My apologies, Hokage-sama! I- I didn't mean to be rude! I--"Ame stuttered.

"Please, child. Call me Tsunade-sama. Hokage-sama makes me sound so old," Tsunade said, smiling.

"Yes Hok--Tsunade-sama."

"That's better. Now, about this situation with your machine…."

"Oh! That's right! Did those people find it? I hope it still works…. I can't really afford to stay here," Ame said thinking about home.

"Well, see. That's what's I'd like to talk to you about. You see, the machine is here…"

"That's great!"

"But…"

_Uh-oh, a 'but…'. I hope this isn't what I think it is! _Ame thought, starting to panic.

"I'm sorry Uchitsu-san," Tsunade said averting her eyes. "The machine will have to be repaired."

Ame's face remained calm for about five seconds, then she screamed,

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Tsunade made no move to comfort the girl, but instead, just looked away.

"How am I going to get home now? I don't even know how that machine works, let alone how it's built!" Ame broke into small sobs. She held her head in her hands.

After a few moments of this, the Hokage had enough.

"Because it seems that you won't be able to go home for a while, I have asked somebody to take you in as a temporary home. He has asked to explain the rest to you," said Tsunade.

"A-alright, so….um…who am I staying with?" she asked, no longer sobbing.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

-p-p-p-oo-p-p-p-

A/N: Since, I'm such an evil authoress, I want you to figure the pairings for yourselves! BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, and btw, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto and Ame are all 17 years old. Sasuke HASN'T met Orochimaru…yet….


	6. Roomies?

Chapter 6: Roomies?

Sasuke grumbled as he prepared his house for his new guest.

flashback

"_Uchiha Sasuke, may I speak to you a moment?" asked Tsunade as the rest of team 7 left through the door._

"_..."He stopped, turned, and walked back to her desk. _

"_Because of this incident," Tsunade pointed to the pieces of scrap metal outside her window. "Our guest cannot go home. You do realize what this means, Uchiha-san?"_

_Sasuke sighed. "The girl needs a temporary home Sasuke….we at least owe her that much."_

_He blinked once, twice. "You're _not_ serious!"_

"_Sasuke, you have the space. Please, I ask you… let her stay."_

"_She'll change everything."_

"_Make her pay rent, then, if it means so much to you."_

"…_Fine. But let me tell her the rest."_

"_Thank you Uchiha-san. You are dismissed."_

"_Hn." He bowed and left._

end of flashback

"Damn hag," he grunted again.

KNOCK-KNOCK!

Sasuke went to the door and opened it. There Ame stood, her hair reddish brown-layered hair masking her face. Sasuke glared at her.

"Well, are you coming in or not?"

"Uh…um…." she stuttered as she stepped inside and took her shoes off.

Sasuke let her leave her shoes in front of the door. "This way," he motioned as her led her to where she was to stay.

She glanced at her room. _It's so blank, _she thought. _Geez. The cell was much better than this place. But whatever. It's still warm._

She saw a small desk in the corner and decided to take a seat there.

"I assume you like it, then." Sasuke said more of a statement than a question.

"Well, it's better than that jail cell, that's for sure," Ame attempted at making a joke. When he didn't laugh, she got annoyed. "Geez, can't even laugh? What are you, a robot or something?"

"Look, I can kick you out whenever I want to. I don't HAVE to keep you here." He retorted.

"Well, then why don't you?" she asked.

_Dammit! She's more annoying than that dobe and that forehead-girl combined!_ He thought. "I have my reasons."

"Such as…?" At this, Ame looked up at him with her clear reddish-moonstone eyes.

"…" _Grr….even more annoying than Kakashi's unpunctuality._

"Well if you're going to be like that, then why don't I just stay at Haruno-san's house?" Ame asked as she stood up from the desk and faced him.

"…Because _she_ isn't the one Tsunade-sama chose. And if you like Sakura-san so much, then why don't you just marry her?" he retorted, full of sarcasm. (a/n: Not meant to offend homosexuals…Sasuke's just being hostile towards Ame, that's all)

"I'm NOT homosexual thank you very much," mumbled Ame. (A/n: Not meant to offend homosexuals…. Ame's just saying she doesn't roll that way, that's all)

Ignoring her, he pulled a small notebook from his pocket and read from it.

"Ok, here are the rules. 1) Don't change any part of this house unless you have my permission to do so. 2) You will get a job and pay rent for the room you're staying in unless I say otherwise. 3) A locked door means you're not welcome, so don't open the door. If you need help with anything, call me or knock. Any questions?" Sasuke hissed, like an army commander.

"Err, no sir," said Ame, blinking. Sasuke smirked.

"Except…" then her eyes got evilly childlike (A/N: Children are DEVILS!). "Am I allowed to go out with boys yet daddy, or am I still too young?"

Sasuke face-faulted. (A/n: FACE-FAULTING SASUKE!TEE HEE!)

"If you want to go out, either I go with you or one of my friends will go with you, but you will not go out alone," said Sasuke.

"Why? I thought you guys trusted me?" Ame asked, pouting.

"…" said Sasuke as he left the door of her room, emotionlessly. _Why, why, why? It's always 'why?' with girls…ugh. I'm getting a headache._

"Wait!" Ame yelped, grabbing his wrist before he exited the room completely.

"What now?" Sasuke replied, annoyed. _I don't want this girl to become another fan girl of mine. I've had too many to count, already._

"Are you going to escort me tomorrow morning so I can find a job?"

"I have a mission to do tomorrow--"

"But don't you want me to start paying off your rent _now_?" Ame peered at Sasuke with her reddish-moonstone orbs with her most innocently childlike look.

Sasuke had a very stoic face on, but he was fighting a war in his head.

_I need to train! This girl doesn't really think I have time to follow her around and be her lap dog all day!_ He thought. Then he gulped as her eyes bore into his.

_Dammit! Her eyes are just so…hypnotizing. Maybe I'll just show her around tomorrow morning, just so she'll know the place. Then she won't have to drag me around everywhere. Plus, I won't have to waste my time chasing after mystical cats AND I can figure this girl out a lot faster! _Sasuke thought, a grin and a blush cracking slowly on his face.

"Fine, I'll be your escort--"

"But I thought you said you had a mission?" Ame asked.

Now, completely annoyed his eyes glared a death glare to her. "MAKE UP YOUR MIND, WOMAN! DO YOU WANT ME THERE OR NOT!"

"Oh, so now it's what _I_ want?" Ame asked as she pulled Sasuke toward the bed and made him sit down. Then she sat on his lap and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Ok, Santa. I want a pony, a million dollars, and a new plasma screen TV set, with surround sound--"

"THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Sasuke growled as he tried to get up. Ame pushed the inside of his knees so he fell on the bed again.

"-- some new headphones, a brand new wardrobe, a Sony VAIO laptop computer with a wireless connection to the internet, some new cd's, some new anime/movies, new books, a new journal--"

"GET OFF OF ME NOW, DAMMIT!" Sasuke snarled again as he tried to get up again, but failed.

"-- a bigger and better stereo system, a new place for my gerbils to play so that they can roam free without me ever having to worry about where they go and what they do, some posters of that hot singer Gackt--"

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Sasuke tried to push Ame off, but she clinged tighter to him and they fell on the bed, with Ame still sitting on top of Sasuke. Then, using little strength, Sasuke flipped Ame off so that he was now on top of her with his hand over her mouth…in a rather suggestive position.

"No more Christmas wishes," Sasuke growled low.

"Mmmmmph…" was all that Ame managed beneath Sasuke's hand.

"Ok, now blink once for yes and twice for no. Do you want me there or not?"

BLINK

"If I take off my hand and leave, will you sleep?"

BLINK- BLINK

"You have more questions?"

BLINK

"Ok, but make it quick." Sasuke said as he removed his hand from her mouth.

"Can you get off of me?" Ame asked, blushing. Sasuke was about to do so, but then he had an idea. Smirking, he pinned her to the bed and snuggled into her shoulder.

"I don't think so… I'm a bit comfortable right here," he murmured into her shoulder as he took in her scent. _She smells like sweet exotic fruit. _He thought.

Sweatdropping, Ame tried to move, but found that she couldn't escape from his iron grip.

_Dammit…._she thought._ What's he going to do now that he has me in this position?_

"Don't _you_ have a bed of your _own_?" she asked, trying to distract him.

"Hn." was all he said, still smirking.

"So why don't we just…say goodnight and you sleep there, while I sleep by myself?" Ame asked, still sweat dropping.

Sasuke's smirk grew into a slight grin. "Ok," he said. He leaned over Ame and brushed his lips over hers slightly. "Oyasumi nasai."

"O-oyasumi n-nasai, Uchiha-san," Ame stuttered as Sasuke slowly got off her and headed toward his own room.

sssaaasssuuukkkeeeaaammmeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaakkkaaakkkaaassshhhiii

_OMG! What the hell was that! Why did he just kiss me? _Ame thought as she crawled into bed.

_Oh well, who cares. His lips were so gentle…GAH! NO! Don't even think about that Ame! He probably has a fan club just waiting to tear you to shreds. Besides…he's probably just trying to get back at me for teasing him…._ she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Nnnaaarrruuutttooohhhiiinnnaaatttaaannneeejjjiiittteeennnttteeennn

_OMG! WHY DID I JUST KISS HER?_ Sasuke thought in his head angrily.

_Well, whatever. Her lips were so soft…ARGH! NO! I'M NOT GOING TO LET THIS GIRL CONTROL ME! NEVER! _He thought as he, too, drifted off to sleep.


	7. Misunderstandings and Investigations

A/N: Before you start reading this next chapter, I need to make a couple statements:

1) I will not post the pairings because I'm not even sure who's with who yet, so hang tight till I get there.

2) If Orochimaru has an actual name, then I'm changing it because I need it to fit this particular ficcy.

3) Sasuke will be acting VERY OOC…just warning ya.

Chapter 7: Misunderstandings and Investigations

dream

_It was a cold November day while Ame sat on a bench at the park. _

_Staring out at a swing set, Ame saw a little girl about five years old being pushed by her father. Both were laughing jovially._

"_Higher, daddy, higher!"_

"_All right Ame, up, up we go!" a man with long dark hair and milky white skin laughed as he pushed the little girl harder. The girl went as high as the bars._

"_Yay!"_

_Ame stared at her younger self. "If only he were still alive…I wonder what he'd think if he saw me now."_

_The little girl stopped swinging on the swings and skipped up to an old lollipop stand. Nobody was watching the stand, so she took one of the little lollipops and stuffed it in a pocket of her jeans. Then she dug in another pocket and found three coins. Leaving them on the stand, the little girl hopped back to her father and sat on the swing again._

"_Oh, what I would give for those innocent days again," Ame sighed to herself as she watched the scene._

_The little girl's father hugged the little girl and they both left the park. _

end dream

Ame's eyes fluttered open. _How long was I asleep?_

She slowly got out of bed and rubbed her eyes. Finding a small mirror in one corner of the room, she walked over to it and examined herself.

"Ugh…I look disgusting," Ame muttered. "I really need a shower…"

"Well, there's always the one down the hall," replied a cold familiar voice. Turning toward him, Ame put her hands on her hips.

"Well, Mr. Bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed, I would take a shower, but I don't have any clothes to change into," Ame pointed out. Then a heap of clothes hit her face.

"Thank me later," said Sasuke, with his trademark smirk. "If you need me, I'll be down in the kitchen making breakfast." With that, he left.

_Who does he think he is, the King of Japan? Stupid, arrogant asshole…_Ame thought as she began to get ready for the day.

rrroooccckkkllleeeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaaccchhhooojjjiiipppoootttaaatttoooccchhhiiipppsss

"OI! WHERE IS THAT SASUKE-TEME!" Naruto shouted. "HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AN HOUR AGO!"

"So was Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura. "You don't think they both left without us do you?"

"If they did, they are so dea--"

"Hello everybody!" said a late (again) Kakashi. "Where's our favorite Uchiha?"

"Sasuke-kun's not here yet!" said Sakura. Kakashi shrugged.

"Ok then. If he doesn't show up in fifteen minutes, we'll leave him," said Kakashi.

Kkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiiaaasssuuummmaaagggaaaiiikkkuuurrreeennnaaaiiitttsssuuunnnaaadddeee

"Hello, can you please tell Kakashi-san that Uchiha Sasuke of team 7 will not be joining the assigned mission scheduled for today?…That's UCHIHA SASUKE…..Tell him he has another mission that he is assigned to….He has to show a guest around…yes….arigato gozaimasu," said Sasuke as he was talking on the phone.

Ame sat at the table eating cold cereal and milk, because that's all that Sasuke had at the time in his refrigerator. She had left her hair fall in small curves that made her face look heart-shaped. She was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with white shorts. Instead of leaving the t-shirt loose, however, she tied it in a small knot at the back to make her outfit seem more like her.

"Give me two minutes and we're outta here," said Ame. She looked at a nearby mirror, and did some last minute primping before getting her shoes on and all but dragging Sasuke along.

Sssaaasssuuukkkeeeaaammmeeesssaaakkkuuurrraaakkkaaakkkaaassshhhiiinnneeejjjiiittteeennnttteeennn

"Kakashi-sempai! A messege from Tsunade-sama," a small delicate girl said as she handed Kakashi a scroll.

Kakashi opened the scroll and his eyes narrowed.

"Ditching are we? For another mission, eh? How _very_ interesting…." He murmured as he read the scroll. Then Kakashi stuffed the scroll in his shirt.

"No matter… I guess we'll be doing the mission without him then," said Kakashi motioning Naruto and Sakura to follow him as they set off into the forest.

Jjjiiirrraaayyyaaaiiisssaaapppeeerrrvvveerrrtttnnneeejjjiiittteeennnttteeennn

"I CAN WALK MYSELF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" a very annoyed Sasuke yelled at a very determined looking Ame. Ame stopped dragging him, glared at him, then dropped him.

"Fine! Be that way, meanie!" Ame retorted and she stomped away, leaving Sasuke there staring at her. Sasuke then got up and ran after her.

"HEY! WAIT! You don't know where you're going!" Sasuke yelled after her.

Ame paused and turned to face him. Then she scowled. "So why don't you give me a tour already?"

"…Fine," gruffed Sasuke. "Just keep quiet and listen to every word I say because I'm only saying all of this once."

"YES SIR!" Ame piped as she saluted him.

"Don't get lost. Listen only to me when I tell you when something is horrible and when something is good because other people here will try to con you. Wherever you go, take me with you at all times, this way I know you're safe."

"Why is it that _you _care so much about my safety, huh?"

"Because, as far as Tsunade-sama is concerned, I'm your legal guardian for now."

"But you're not even twenty yet!"

Sighing, Sasuke just grabbed her hand and led her around Konoha.

Three hours later

Ame and Sasuke both stepped inside a fairly busy café. A girl, who didn't look much older than them, looked in their direction. She had long brown hair and wore a pink and green flower apron. She ran toward Sasuke and hugged him as if her life depended on it.

"SASUKE-KUN! I see you've finally decided to come to my shop! What can I get you?" she said at about a hundred miles per hour.

"Arima-san, are there any job openings available here?" asked Sasuke in his usual cold manner.

"OOOH! There's definitely one here for you!" she cried as she looked up at him with starry eyes.

"Excellent. Then you don't mind if a friend of mine would work here?" he asked her.

"Nope, I don't mind!"

"Cool. All right Ame, I'll see you at home," Sasuke smiled as he jabbed at Ame. Then as he left, Ame averted her eyes and looked at Arima.

"Alright, so what exactly do I have to do?" she asked Arima. When Arima didn't respond, Ame put her hand on her shoulder. "Miss Arima, are you alright?"

"I CAN'T believe it! I WON'T believe it!" Arima cried as she shrugged Ame's hand off and held her face in her hands.

"Miss Arima?"

"_SASUKE-KUN HAS A WIFE!_" Arima screamed. The whole café went completely silent.

Then Ame put up her hands. "Woah! NO WAY! It's not like that I swear!" She said frantically. "I'm his temporary roommate until I can afford to get a house of my own! Honest! And if you don't believe me, then you can ask the Hokage herself!"

Arima folded her arms and humphed. "Yeah right. Then why is he acting so different?"

"Different?"

"Yeah! Like the way his smile is completely different from his other smiles, and the way he talks is different too. He actually talks with a warm flow of emotion. Why was it you who brought him out of his dark, cold shell?" Arima asked glaring at her.

Ame blinked. Then folding her arms, she said, "Look, I honestly don't know what you're talking about. If he's acting differently, then I wouldn't know what's causing it, okay? So can we please just put this behind us and get back to work?"

Still glaring, Arima replied, "All right, but I'm watching you Miss Ame."

Rolling her eyes, Ame began her first day working as a waitress for the Chili Cha-cha Café.

Bbboooxxxeeerrrsssooorrrbbbrrriiieeefffsss?wwwhhhiiiccchhhooonnneee?

"I WANT TO KNOW WHERE MY DAUGHTER IS RIGHT THIS MINUTE!" A lady screamed at the lab where Ame worked.

"Mrs. Uchitsu, we have been trying hard to come up with something. You have to give us time to look--" Daemon tried to calm the woman down.

"--Are you kidding me? I've waited for over three weeks for my daughter to call, write, email, or to at least come home! Don't you think I've suffered enough!" Uchitsu Kayu all but screamed at the inventors, tears streaming down her face. She held her face in her hands, sobbing and wailing. Then Jackson tried to calm her down.

Putting his hand on her shoulder he murmured, "Mrs. Uchitsu, we understand that you are yearning to see your daughter again, and we are doing everything in our power to try and find her and get her back. Please, we only ask that you give us more time to do so, so that you and your daughter will be reunited once again."

Kayu, her throat sore from crying replied in a scratchy voice, "I just wish my husband was here…."

For a few hours, silence drifted over the room and Kayu felt like time stood still. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, she moved away from the inventors and went to get her jacket.

"I trust you both to find my daughter. If you can't handle this job then I shall go to the authorities. Good night, gentlemen," Kayu coldly announced, and with that, she headed out the door and into the cold night.

Daemon let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Thank the gods, she's finally cooled off. Now all we have to do is find a way to bring Ame back," He whispered.

"And HOW do you suppose we do THAT? The girl took the machine and is probably in some random dimension! The machine could have malfunctioned for all we know!" Jackson loudly asked his lab partner while glaring at him. Daemon then began to smile.


	8. The Mission Begins

Chapter 8: Rescue Attempt

"Well Jackson, it so happens that _I_ have a spare helmet specialized just for these kinds of situations," he replied calmly, while still smiling.

Jackson looked at him oddly. Then he, too, smiled. "You're prepared for almost anything aren't you?"

"Always for the J.I.C. factor!" Daemon exclaimed as he dived into the endless shelves of unused inventions.

"Huh?" Jackson asked, confused. "What's the J.I.C. factor?"

"Just in case!" Daemon yelled back. When he found what he was looking for, he came back to Jackson with a smile on his face.

"Well, who's going. You or I?" he asked.

Jackson paused and stared at the helmet for a full minute. Then he replied, "I think you should go, Daemon. I need to keep Kayu calm until this is all straightened out."

Daemon nodded in agreement and replied, "Very well. I'll see what our Ame is up to and find a way to bring her back."

**And so the rescue mission begins...**

mmmeeerrryyyxxxmmmaaassseeevvveeerrryyybbbooodddyyy!

"Uchitsu! You have 5 minutes to get all these orders done," said a cold voice.It was Ame's boss, Arima.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I'm on it."

Ame took out her writing pad and got everybody's orders down in a flash. Arima stared at her open mouthed. Ame just smirked.

"How...how did you DO that?" Arima asked, eyes bugging out. "That wasn't even 5 minutes!"

Ame, still smirking said, "Well, at home I used to work around my mom's old restauant. I guess this is just second nature to me now." She stared at her pink and green apron in nostalgia.

Arima, now glaring at her replied,"Alright...but I still need to get five hundred orders out there. SO MOVE! CHOP-CHOP!"

"Alright already! Don't have a whale, geez," Ame muttered getting back to work.

About 6 hours later

"Okay shift's over! See ya tomorrow, Arima-san!" Ame yelled over the counter as she threw off her apron.

"Uchitsu! You better be back here at 1:00 again,. or else!" Arima yelled back as Ame flew out the door.

Ame rolled her eyes and sighed. "You almost sound like my mother..." She muttered. Then tears began to well up in her eyes. That homesickness was taking over her again.

"I miss my life!" she cried, hoping to shake off these feelings of self-pity.

She continued walking down the street, deep in thought. Then she paused.

_Wait a minute...I don't remember seeing this park here,_ she thought as she began to gaze at her surroundings.

"Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm lost!" she cried out loud. "WHY DO THESE THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!"

"Well, if you're so lost, then maybe you should've waited until I got there," replied a coldly familiar voice.

Ame turned her head toward the voice so fast that it was a miracle that she didn't get whiplash.

" WELL IF SOMEBODY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WAIT FOR ME THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE FIRST PLACE!" She yelled back at him.

Sasuke smirked. " And here I thought you were a smart girl. Looks like I was wrong after all."

"WHA? WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN YOU BIG JERK!" she sputtered.

"You figure it out, oh 'smart' one," he laughed out in reply.

Ame's face turned scarlet with rage for about five seconds, and she gave Sasuke a supernova death glare.

"Let's just go home already, bastard," she huffed, folding her arms.

Sasuke wagged a mock-disappointed finger at her. "Tsk tsk, such language on a lady is so VERY unbecoming."

"Grr...WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND TAKE ME HOME ALREADY!"

"Alright, alright. You didn't need to be rude about it, " Sasuke replied. They argued ther rest of the way home.

(A/N: ...stuck in a Japanese Airport with nothing to do! I feel like I'm on that tv show Lost! Our plane better come soon! --+)


	9. Hard Nights

Chapter 9: Rescue Attempt

THUNK

A young looking man shoved a fairly large helmet on his head.

WHRR…..the helmet gave a shiver.

"Here we go," murmured Daemon and he disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

Sssaaasssuuukkkeeekkkuuunnn!aaaiiissshhhiiittteeeiiirrruuu!

"Well, lookey here," breathed the fairly drunk man that Ame was serving. "A really purty chhicky. So baby doll, wha's youuuuuuuuuuuuuurr naaame?" he slurred. Yup, definitely drunk.

"Look you, no funny business here. I got 300 orders left to take, and you will not be--EEK!" she squeaked as the drunk man began to run his hands up and down her thighs.

"Com'n guuuuuuurrly….ah juuuuuuuuuuussssssssssssssst waaaaaaaaaaaanna pllllllllllayyyyy!" he slurred again to her.

Disgusted, she slapped his hands away and decked him in the face. "DON'T TOUCH ME, SICKO!"

The rest of the people in the shop paid for they're meals and left, sensing trouble brewing.

Angered now that he had been clocked in the face by a mere girl, he stood up. "YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU TREAT A CUSTOMER LIKE THAT! WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR MANAGER!"

With that, he grabbed her neck and began to choke her. Just as she was slowly beginning to see black, she heard a voice yell, "YOU! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER RIGHT NOW!"

The pair of hands let go, but she felt the darkness overtake her. That was all she remembered before she passed out.

Mmmyyyyllliiilllbbboooyyywwwaaannntttssstttooopppaaarrrtttyyyaaallllllttthhheeetttiiimmmeee!

Arima was washing the dishes since one of her other employees was on vacation. She and Ame were the only ones working tonight, she had hoped everything would be quiet and peaceful, like it usually was. But, as always, everything she wishes for, she gets the exact opposite.

She saw the man walk in, already drunk from the bar across the street. She was still too busy with the day's dishes, so she sent Ame out there to take his order. She didn't know that it was a big mistake when heard the man yelling, "YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU TREAT A CUSTOMER LIKE THAT!WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR MANAGER!"

Frustrated that somebody was interrupting her work, she came out of the kitchen. "Is there a prob--" she cut off mid-sentence when she saw her employee being chocked to death by this man.

"YOU! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER RIGHT NOW!" Arima yelled. The man dropped Ame and she was carelessly splayed out on the floor, gasping for breath until she fainted.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK THIS IS? A WHORE HOUSE! GET OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR UGLY FACE IN THIS CAFÉ AGAIN!" Arima screamed angrily at the drunk man.

"FINE, BUT DON'T EXPECT ANY MORE CUSTOMERS TO COME TO THIS SHOP ANYMORE!" he yelled back.

"JUST GET OUT!"

With that the drunk man left his booth and walked right out the door.

Arima ran to Ame's side. "Uchitsu-san! Are you hurt?" she asked. No response. "Uchitsu-san! ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" she screamed. Still no response.

"Oh my kami…" Arima gasped, holding a shocked hand to her mouth. Franticly running to the phone, she dialed the number that she knew would help her.

"HELP ME! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME! MY EMPLOYEE IS LYING ON THE FLOOR UNCONSIOUS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! PLEASE SEND SOMEBODY!" Arima chattered quickly into the phone.

"Alright already. I'll send her guardian to come fetch her."

"THANK YOU!" Arima cried. Turning back to Ame, she murmured, "Hold on, Uchitsu. Help is on its way…"

Mmmyyyssshhhoooeeessstttaaasssttteeellliiikkkeeeccchhheeessseee! Jjjkkkjjjkkk!

RRRRRRIIIIIING!

Sasuke groaned as his hand reached for the phone. "It's 2 am, Naruto…go back to sleep," he grumbled into the phone, still half-asleep.

"Uchiha-san. It seems your charge is in some serious trouble. Go to her…NOW!"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke mumbled as he stretched.

"I mean, your charge is at the Chili Cha-Cha Café and she's in some serious trouble!"

Sasuke woke up with a start and got ready. "What happened?" he asked.

"No time to explain, just make sure you get to her…now GO!"

Sasuke hung up the phone and tossed it onto his bed. Jumping out his bedroom window, he raced toward the shop where Ame worked. Once he got there, he burst through the door.

"What's going on here?" he asked Arima, who was crying beside Ame.

" S-She was being choked by this one drunk bastard, and I was just in time to stop him from k-killing her…" she sobbed. "And then when he let go, s-she f-fainted!"

With a stoic expresion on his face, Sasuke picked Ame up, bridal style.

"I'll take her home," he said. And with her in his arms, they left.


	10. Painful Memories and Ongoing Searches

Chapter 10: Painful Memories and Ongoing Searches

Sasuke laid her down on the futon he laid out for her the since the first day she came. He carefully set her head on a pillow and pulled a sheet over her body until it reached her waist. Gazing at her, his mind began to whirl with thoughts.

"Why was she attacked, and why does her name sound so familiar to me?" he whispered to himself. Her name bugged him so much, he couldn't stand it anymore. Leaving Ame to rest, he left the room and headed toward his study.

#$&(&$#&(&$#&(&$#&((&$&&$

_Ame stared at the sky, watching the clouds pass over her in gentle white puffs. She hugged her knees to her chest. Here, she sat on the side of the lake. It was a calm spring day. The birds sang happily and glided against the occasional cool breeze that passed by. _

"_Father, where are you? I miss you. When will you return?" she whispered to a small grave by the lake. Her mother buried some of his belongings there to serve as a grave. The war was over, but he was reported missing. Since then, after school and after spending some time taking care of the little café she had owned with her family, Ame came to the lake every day. Sometimes she came just to confide in her father's "grave," and sometimes she just came when she felt lost. _

_The other kids always teased her about going to the lake. They called her a loser with no life. Nobody wanted to talk to her. Nobody wanted to play with her. She felt like she was so alone. _

"_Ame-chan," a soft voice came from behind her. Ame whipped around. It was her mother._

"_What is it, Okaa-san?" Ame asked turning back to the lake and staring aimlessly._

"_I have decided that it's time for us to move. It's not healthy dwelling on the past," Kayu replied. She pointed to the grave. "I know it is hard to let go of your father, but you need to do so in order to live. You need to _move on_."_

"_But how can I forget him, okaa-san? He was my father… How can I forget him?" Ame asked shaking with anger._

_Calmly, Kayu put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled. "Honey, I'm not asking you to forget him. I'm asking you to live. Please, let's go now Ame-chan."_

_Tears leaked from Ame's eyes as she nodded and turned to face her father's grave. _

"_Sayonara, Otou-san," she whispered._

Ame's eyes fluttered open. She hadn't had that dream in a long time. That was the second time she and her father were separated. Since then, she had changed. She made plenty of friends, some enemies, and had been relatively happy. Now, here she was stuck in a dimension she can't leave because Naruto broke the machine.

"It's good to see you're awake. For a moment there, I thought you were dead," came a cold voice from the doorway.

Ame looked up at him with eyes that screamed sadness. "Go away," she growled.

Sasuke blinked. He hadn't been expecting that reaction. When he hadn't moved from his place in the doorway, she began to cry.

"I said, GET OUT!" she screamed as she got out of the bed and pushed him out. She slammed the door right in his face.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "Well, fine. I just came to tell you that your breakfast is downstairs. I have a mission today, so I probably won't be home until later," he spoke through the door. When he got no response. He added, "And be careful next time, ok? I won't always be here to save you, you know."

She wailed, cursed, and opened the door. She moved close to Sasuke so she was about three inches away from his face. With angry tears spilling on her face, she backed up suddenly and slapped his face.

"HOW DARE YOU! GET OUT!" she yelled.

Sasuke touched a hand where she slapped him and then glared at her with his Sharingan eyes. He grabbed her wrist and angrily threw her onto the bed.

"I don't know what your problem is, you ungrateful wench, and I don't want to know. Your stupid yelling, however is beginning to annoy me, so I suggest that you shut up before I have to do something I'm going to regret," he spoke in a deadly calm voice. The voice that he used during his missions. The voice he used when he talked to The Sound Four. The voice he used when talking to THAT MAN.

Tears still streaming down her face, she replied in an equally dead tone, "Then just go away so I can be in peace."

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit. Ame's crying face started something in him.

---flashback

"_GO AWAY!" A seven year old Sasuke screamed at the people who dared to come into him with their stupid sense of pity. THAT MAN had done enough. He just couldn't take it anymore._

"_GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" Sasuke yelled at the little girl who dared to come to his house, smiling. SMILING. He stormed to his room and slammed the door shut. Angry tears leaked and he screamed for his family._

--end of flashback

Sasuke stared at Ame's face. Deciding not to pry, he left. Without even a word of comfort, he had left her sitting there, drowning in her own tears. Just like he did when he was younger.

Ame stared at his back. She noticed that he was staring at her before he left. She walked to an open window and began to stare at the sky.

"Father, where are you?" she whispered into the wind.

Ooorrroooccchhhiiimmmaaarrruuuiiissseeevvviiilllsssoooiiisssaaammmeeejjjkkkjjjkkkjjjkk

The forest became still as a man with a fairly large helmet began to walk toward his destination.

"Ah, Konoha. It's good to be back here once again," said the man. (A/N: hey kids, if you can guess who this is and get it right, I'll give you a cookie!)


	11. Part 1 of Mission Complete

Chapter 11: Part 1 of Mission Complete

The man strolled throughout the forest until he came to a large gate. Here, a loud voice from above echoed to him, "Who goes there? State your name and your business please."

"Konala Daemon. I come to retrieve a child that has accidentally wandered into your village. May I please speak with the Hokage?" The man replied calmly, a forced smile

on his face.

The guards looked at each other, uneasy. They looked at the fairly large helmet the man held in his arms and then looked at each other again. Then they nodded to the man.

"You may see her, but it is required that you leave all of your belongings in this box," one of the guards replied, dropping an iron safe in front of Daemon.

Sighing, Daemon put his helmet into the box and took out his wallet, keys, and tools that he had kept handy on him from the lab, in case he needed them. Then he locked the safe and gazed at the men on top of the gate.

"I'm stripped of my belongings, can I see her now?"

The guards looked nervously at each other again, before they finally nodded.

The gate flew open with a loud, long, screech and Daemon went inside. There, he saw a man dressed almost fully in black with a strange mask on his face.

"Follow me, please," said a voice coldly under the mask.

Daemon followed the man until he reached an elegant looking waiting room with crème tapestry.

"Wait here," said his escort as Daemon sat down on one of the chairs there.

Daemon looked at his Swiss watch his ex-girlfriend gave him a couple years ago. Five-thirty it read, he mused. If everything was normal, he would have had to order take out from the nearest and oldest diner right next to his house. He imagined himself laying on his soft down pillow and shook his head. If only he was home…

"Daemon, what a pleasure it is to see you once again," came a gentle whisper in front of him. He gazed lazily up at the Hokage with smiling eyes.

"Ah, Tsunade, what has time done for you since we have parted?" Daemon asked as he pulled her into a hug. Tsunade blushed and started to push him away.

"No, not here Daemon," Tsunade whispered. "People talk. I'll take you to my office where we can talk properly."

Daemon laughed, but still did not let go of her. "Alright, have it your way. But I'm not going to forget what you said to me before we left."

Tsunade blinked hard and blushed at the memory.

_**Flashback**_

_A cool breeze caressed the bark of the trees. Outside, there was more danger and chaos than one could ever imagine. _

"_Daemon! Wait!" screamed a young Tsunade._

"_I have to go, Tsunade-chan. Be safe," Daemon hastily replied as he struggled with his helmet._

"_Wait! I want to tell you… I might never see you again and I… I….I love you Daemon! And don't you ever forget it, you hear?" Tsunade trembled as she desperately embraced him. _

_After he put on his helmet, he looked at her with shocked eyes and then smiled. He returned the embrace and replied, "I won't forget, Tsunade-chan."_

_Then with a whirr from the helmet, he was gone in a flash of light._

_**End of flashback**_

"That was a long time ago, Daemon. And besides, I thought you wanted to talk to me on business?" Tsunade replied, pouting.

Letting go of her, Daemon sighed. "You're right. Has there been any reports about a mysterious girl coming here lately?"

Tsunade's eyes widened. She turned to her phone and dialed the number with calm hands.

"Shizune," she spoke into the phone. "Call Kakashi…."

!#$&()&$#$&()(#$&()&$#&()(&$#&()&

Ame cautiously opened her door. Silence devoured the house in a dead motion. Stepping out of the small sanctuary that she had been calling her room, she called out to the guy who took her in and to whom she was just recently cruel with. When she didn't get a response, she went downstairs.

"Sasuke?" she called. "Are you down here?" Still no response. Then she remembered.

**Flashback**

"…_I just came to tell you that your breakfast is downstairs. I have a mission today, so I probably won't be home until later," he spoke through the door…_

**End of Flashback**

She walked to the kitchen table and began eating her breakfast.

"I should do something. I was pretty harsh with him before," she announced to herself. "Hmm… Maybe I should repay the meal…"

#$&(&$#!#$&()&$#$&()(&$#&()&$&()$

"Heh. Stupid dobe. You know you can't beat me," Sasuke sniggered as he began making some seals.

"BASTARD! I WILL WIN!" Naruto yelled and as he too began making seals, his intent to kill Sasuke overwhelming.

"Sasuke! As much as I'd hate to interrupt your training, I'd like to have a word with you," Kakashi replied.

Sasuke ignored Kakashi for a moment and continued the battle. He dodged a kunai and threw one of his own and knocked Naruto down.

"We'll continue this later," Sasuke replied. He left Naruto on the ground like that, looking dumbfounded.

"HA! COWARD! RUNNING AWAY FROM A BATTLE!" Naruto laughed as he got up.

Sasuke stopped walking only for a moment. Taking a kunai from his pouch, he threw it at Naruto's hood and pinned him to a tree. As if nothing just happened, he continued walking with Kakashi.

"Bastard.." muttered Naruto, pulling a hand up to the kunai and yanking it from the tree.

()&$#&()(&$#&()(&$#&()(&$#&()(&$

ACHOO! Sasuke sneezed.

"Bless you," said Kakashi almost automatically.

"So what is this about Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, getting right to the point.

"It appears your new roommate has a guest. We need you to send her to the Hokage's office immediately," Kakashi replied.

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi ignored him.

"You have about an hour," he said and he disappeared with a poof.

"Damn Kakashi," Sasuke muttered.

A/N: Sorry, none of you got it right! But some of you were close! gives u guys cookies anyway


	12. Part 2 of Mission Complete

Chapter 12: Part II of Mission Complete

"Hmm... looks like I'm going to have to go get some fresh ingredients," Ame murmured as she opened the refrigerator.

_Eww..mold. Ugh, is this seven year old spinach?? GROSS!_ Ame gagged as she looked further into Sasuke's refrigerator.

"Yup, I'm definitely going to need to make him some updated food...this stuff is just too disgusting," she muttered to herself as she began to clean out his refrigerator as fast as she could.

#$&()&$&()&$#&()&$#&()&$#

_An hour, he says. It takes at least two hours to get to this part of the forest from the bridge where we meet. Getting home to that girl and going straight to the Hokage tower will take at least three hours. Who is this girl really, and who is this someone she's supposed to meet? Maybe she's a spy for another village? _Sasuke thought as he raced to get to his house as fast as he possibly could.

_No, she couldn't be, she looks too weak to do anything. Then again...no. She's too weak. And besides, her chakra level doesn't even reach the capacity of even the weakest ninja. _He concluded after he came to the entrance of the Uchiha property.

#$&(&$#&(&$#&($#&($&$&($&

After going to the grocery store to buy fresh food, she decided to make the last specialty that she remembered making when she and her mother still owned the restaurant. It was an entree called "Uvesti." Basically, it included steak and pasta with mushroom and oyster sauce. It was one of her favorite plates to make because the name of it was constantly forgotten by all of her customers. Yet, the exact taste of this specialty was always the first thing mentioned at the tables. So, in order to remember what the name of her food, Ame created a special phrase.

_"You betcha, Uvesti!" _

She looked through the plates until one specific one caught her eye. It was an obsidian plate with pink tourmaline sakura flowers and jade green leaves decorating the side. It looked especially beautiful because on the left side of the plate, there was a kanji symbol made from white pearl.

"Love," Ame read from the plate. "Aw, man! I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea."

She sighed as she held the plate to her chest. "Well.. at least it's pretty enough to be presentable..I guess."

After cooking her steak and pasta, she set the food in the very center of the plate, careful not to cover up the flowers. Then she added tiny dots of oyster sauce around the pasta and steak and set the plate on the table.

With a sigh of contentment, Ame looked at her creation adoringly. "Perfect," she murmured, "now all I need is the card."

Reaching in her pockets she found the little notebook Sasuke gave to her when she first moved in. Tearing out a piece of paper from there, she wrote:

_**Sasuke,**_

_I'm sorry. I overreacted. Please forgive me._

**_Ame_**

The door slammed open, and a gasping Sasuke came through the hallway. Ame quickly put the card next to the food and stood in front of it before Sasuke could see it.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he saw her standing in front of the table.

"Uh,... oh! Nothing! I was just...uh.." Ame fumbled for her words.

" Whatever. You have to come with me. It seems like a friend of yours has come for a visit," he stated. "Let's go."

Ame stared at him, confused. Who could possibly find her here?

(&$#&()&$#&()&$#&()&$#&()((&$#&()

Everyone gathered around the front of Tsunade's office desk. An awkward silence filled the room, as strangers gave subtle stares at each other. Tsunade glanced at Daemon, who hid behind her, and he only slightly nodded in response.

Ame entered the room with Sasuke, confused and nervous about the situation. She stole a quick glance at Kakashi, then Tsunade, then Daemon, but they would only avert their eyes. Beginning to get annoyed, she sighed.

"Can someone tell me why everyone's so gloomy all of a sudden? I mean, come on! Who died?" She asked, trying to lighten up the mood a little.

"Miss Uchitsu, forgive me. We didn't mean to give you that impression. You have a guest who would like to speak with you over some buisness concerning your current situation," replied Tsunade, directing her attention to the man behind her.

Ame's jaw dropped. She could have cried with happiness! It was her boss!

"DAEMON-SAN!!!!!!!!!!" she cried, running up to him and throwing her arms around him. "THANK THE GODS!! I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN! How's my mom? How's Kumiko-chan? Where's Dr. Jackson? When are you--"

"--AME. STOP." Daemon ordered in a loud and calm voice. When she finally settled down, he sighed, "All your questions will be answered in time. In the meantime, there are other things we need to discuss..."

With that, Daemon blinked at Tsunade, who understood.

"Everyone, you are free to leave my office. Sasuke, I need to speak with you for a moment."

Everyone but Sasuke, Tsunade, Ame, and Daemon, left the office.

"Tomorrow, you will receive information on your newest assignment. This will be a private A-class mission--"

"--well then why not just assign it to Kakashi then? He's a jounin."

"This mission is a solo mission made only for you, Uchiha-san. I will send you a scroll with the rest of your information tomorrow morning, but before you open it, you must come to my office again for a short conference. There are some rules and regulations about this mission that have to be carefully followed, and I will need to explain them fully to you before you leave for this mission. Do you understand?"

"Hn." Sasuke glared.

"Alright then, dismissed." Tsunade replied. Sasuke left for the door and Ame started to follow.

"Not you, Uchitsu-san. Stay for a moment please,"

Ame turned to her, then averted her eyes to the floor. Daemon frowned a little as she began to wring her hands, nervously.

"We've brought you here because as you know, Daemon-san is offering you a passage home," Tsunade started. Then looking at Daemon, she said, "Would you like to explain the rest?"

Daemon nodded. "I have another invention that can get you home," Ame gazed at him excitedly as Daemon smiled sadly, "however, I will not be able to come with you."

At this, Ame stared at him in shock. "Why not?"

Daemon then brought out the helmet that he came with and set it on Tsunade's desk. Tsunade examined it with melancholy nostalgia.

" This is the NUWH2006. It is designed to travel to other worlds or dimensions. It works just like that machine you came in, the NUW2000, but it can only make enough space for one person to travel through," Daemon explained. "You can go home to see your mother."

"But what about you Daemon-san?" Ame asked.

"I'll be fine here. Tsunade-sama has informed me of the broken NUW2000, so I'll stay here and make the repairs."

"But what about your newest project with Dr. Jackson?"

"He'll be fine by himself. He already knows what to do."

Ame took a deep breath and sighed. _Well, at least I got to go home. I need to check up on my mom and Kumiko anyway. _

"Ok, I'll do it," said Ame reaching out for the helmet. Tsunade smiled and handed it to her.

"Alright. Tomorrow, Uchiha Sasuke will escort you to the middle of the forest. This must be done in secret or the villagers will become more suspicious of what's going on--"

"Wait. Why does this have to be all secret?" Ame asked, beginning to frown. _It's not like people don't know that I'm not from here. _

Tsunade sighed. "We've been having...some difficulty keeping privacy these days with other villages. Mostly one village in particular that happens to be newly formed."

"I see," Ame replied, helmet in hand.

"You are dismissed," said Tsunade as Ame bowed and headed out the door.

)(&$#&()&$#&()(&$#&()(&$&()(&$#&()(&$#&()(&$&()&$

After Ame left, Tsunade reached into her drawer and picked up a small picture frame.

"You couldn't tell her could you?" Daemon sighed. "Someone's got to tell her, or HE will."

Tsunade's fists clenched slightly. "Don't you think I know that?"

" Then why aren't you telling her now?" Daemon prodded. "It's been 11 years since then and we BOTH know he's out there just waiting for her to come back and be his servant just like her s--"

"DAEMON! DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT? IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVEN'T TRIED!" Tsunade exploded and with her eyes threatening tears, she punched her desk, which in turn, shattered.

Daemon sighed and turned away. "You're right. I'm sorry. I knew better than to bring up THAT incident. I'm sorry Tsu-tsu-koi," he replied.

Tsunade wiped a tear away and wrapped gentle arms around him. "You haven't called me that in ages."

Grinning, he held her arms against himself, enjoying the moment.

"Then again, it has been a while," she murmured into his back, "My Daemon-kun."

$#&()(&$#$&&()(&$&()(&$#&()(&()&#()$#()$&()&$(&$()&$()&$

Ame stepped out of the office and went outside. Holding up the helmet, she gazed at it with wonder. _I better say goodbye to everybody before I leave._

She started walking in the direction of the Chili Cha-Cha Cafe and smiled. Walking inside, she saw Arima with an impatient look on her face. Storming up to her, Arima raged,

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN! THIS PLACE IS A MESS! LET'S GET GOING CHOP-CHOP!"

"Uh, Arima-san... There's something I have to tell you..." Ame began, but her apron and notebook were shoved in her face.

"WE'LL TALK LATER! GET GOING! WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CUSTOMERS TODAY!"

Sighing, Ame went to her safe in the back room and locked up her helmet. She then put on her apron and began to take everybody's orders.

88-Moments later-88

Ame took off her apron and set it on a nearby table. The Chili Cha-Cha Cafe just closed and she needed to talk to Arima. NOW.

Arima was cleaning the front table and she saw Ame leave her apron on the table next to her.

"Arima-san, I need to talk to you," Ame murmured, slightly frowning.

"Go ahead," Arima replied focusing more on cleaning and setting up the front table for tomorrow's business.

"It's about my job here, at the cafe..."

"If you're asking for a raise the answer is no. We still need more business." At this Ame raised a brow in amusement.

"Haahaha, that's not what I was about to say, but at least I know the answer to THAT question." Arima pouted at her.

"Well, if you have something to say to me, just spit it out! I don't have all day you know!" she whined.

Putting her hands up in surrender Ame told her the news, "Okay. Well, I'm not going to be able to work here anymore."

Arima stopped cleaning for a moment and looked at Ame, "WHAT?"

Ame sighed, she knew this was going to be hard. "I'm saying I'm quitting."

"WELL, I KNOW THAT! BUT WHY? YOU'RE ONE OF THE BEST WAITRESSES I'VE HAD IN YEARS! PLEASE STAY? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?!?!?!?"

Ame ran a hand through her hair trying not to get too annoyed by the yelling. "I'm going home and I need my paycheck now, please."

Arima looked at her sadly, and went behind the counter. She pulled out the money and handed it to Ame.

"You know, if you ever come back here, you still have a job here, ok?"

Ame smiled. "Ok."

Going back to her locker, she got her helmet and walked out the door.

(&$#$&+)&($(+)(&$&(+)(&$&+(&$+)&#(($&#)(&#((&(&)&&)(&)

Ame saw Sasuke waiting for her as he always did after his missions, since she needed to be escorted home. He saw her paycheck in her hand and he frowned.

"I see Arima-san paid you early."

Ame only looked at him in sad silence as they began to walk home. When they were inside, she saw the food still there at the table, untouched. Sasuke went up to his room and went straight to bed. Ame went to the table and pulled out a pen. On the envelope of the paycheck, she wrote

_**Thanks for everything Sasuke-kun. Here's the rent.**_

**Ame**

She set the envelope on the kitchen counter and went to her room. She set the helmet on her bureaux. Glancing at it one last time before sleep took her, she whispered, "Hold on Okaa-san. I'm coming home."

()&$&()()(&&$&())(&&#$&(#&(&$()&#()()#&(#$()&$(&)$&(&$

**a/n:**

**Updates:**

**-yea, so I'm changing Tsunade's love life and her age because it fits better.( We'll say she's about 35 instead of 50. Daemon is about 42.)**

**- I decided not to change Orochimaru's name, for better reasons. **

**-**

**Naruto is training with Jiraiya at the moment and Sakura... hm... we'll see. **

**Thanks for your reviews! Please keep reviewing!**


	13. Complications

()&$&()()(&&$&())(&&#$&(#&(&$()&#()()#&(#$

**a/n:**

**Updates:**

**-yea, so I'm changing Tsunade's love life and her age because it fits better.( We'll say she's about 35 instead of 50. Daemon is about 42.)**

**- I decided not to change Orochimaru's name, for better reasons. **

**-Naruto is training with Jiraiya at the moment and Sakura... hm... we'll see. **

**-Also, a new character is borrowed from ChinaGirl7959 with her permission.**

**Thanks for your reviews! Please keep reviewing!**

Chapter 13: Complications

Sasuke woke up and got ready a few hours before dawn. He dashed in fast, long strides over to the Hokage's office.

Once inside, he saw the Hokage snoring at her new desk (**A/N: She broke her other one)**.

He sweat dropped as he saw drool come out and almost spill on one of the books she was reading. Deciding to wake her up, he shook her.

"Tsunade-sama," He said. No response. He shook her harder.

"Tsunade-sama." He repeated. Still no response. For a moment, he left her office, sighing in frustration. Then on his way out, he saw a villager carrying a bucket of water from a nearby well. He smirked. Running down to the villager he asked, "Excuse me, the Hokage needs this, do you mind if I borrow it?"

"Sure! Give me 100 yen for it, and I'll let you have the bucket too!" the villager replied. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke handed him the money and ran back to the Hokage's office.

Seeing her still asleep and semi-drooling, he smirked. He threw the bucket of water at her.

SPLASH!

"HOLY SHIT THAT'S COLD!" she shrieked. Then she looked at her attacker and she seethed. "Uchiha...--++"

"Hn?"

"What are you doing here pouring ice cold water on sleeping women?" She glared at him, and Sasuke being Sasuke, he glared back.

"The scroll, Hokage-sama" He smirked.

Still grumbling from the really rude awakening, the Hokage ran a thoroughly annoyed hand through her hair.

"Indeed," she muttered. Putting, her desk in order, she began, "You'd better be taking notes because every order I'm about to give must be followed strictly within every detail."

"Hn," said Sasuke, sporting his trademark smirk. Tsunade glanced unhumorously in his direction, then continued.

"We will start with the helmet. It has one purpose and one purpose only: to bring Uchitsu-san home. There are four buttons at the very top of the helmet, as Daemon-san has informed me. Each button's position is entirely crucial to this mission. In order for Ame to return to her world, the buttons MUST be in the exact sequence I'm about to tell you."

Sasuke stared at her with unchanged, steely eyes.

With an urge to shiver from the cold stare, Tsunade continued. "Remember this clearly Uchiha: up, down, up, up."

Sasuke didn't take notes, didn't ask twice, but had engraved the sequence in his mind. With a curt nod, he rose.

"Is there anything else?" He asked, which in turn, gave Tsunade a start. Sasuke definitely wasn't one to speak so many words at once.

Trying not to blink in shock, she continued with a hard expression on her face.

"Uchiha-san, remember this is to remain secret. If anyone asks where Ames-san has gone, tell him or her she has gone home. We don't want this to attract too much attention."

"Hn."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Make sure nobody can see you and finish the mission, alright Uchiha-san?"

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"Alright then, dismissed."

(&$#$&())(&$&())&$#&()&$#&(&$#&()&$&()&&$#&

A slithery figure wet his lips slowly with his serpentine tongue as he eyed the Uchiha leaving the Hokage Building from a nearby, well hidden tree.

Smirking, he leapt to another nearby tree closer to the Uchiha's path. When he was well out of earshot, he mused softly to himself.

"One day, that Sharingan will be mine. But until then," he paused not even giving a short glance above him, "fetch me the girl."

A slim figure floated decimeters above him, drawing her brow to a concentrated frown. Her black tattoo, which bound her to him, glistened brightly with determination against the leering sun.

"Yes Master."

()$&($&()&$&()(&&&

The next morning, Ame gave a lazy look at the ceiling. Today, she was going home. She was going to leave a place with an easy atmosphere and go back to the fast-paced pressures of school-life. She laid the clothes she borrowed from Sasuke down on the bed and gave 'her' room a final once over in farewell. Standing in the doorway, she held the helmet with a gently tense hand and closed the front door with the other.

Sasuke had been leaning against a pole on the front porch with a cold impatience written on his face.

"What took you so long?" he gruffed.

"I had to clean up some stuff. Is that a crime?" she retorted.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with," he mumbled as he led her into the woods. After a while of walking, Ame began to get annoyed.

"You know what—" she started.

"—Your cooking… it tastes like my mother's." Sasuke interrupted, his hard onyx eyes beginning to lighten to a dark gray.

Ame blinked in confusion. _Was that supposed to be a compliment?_

"Uhm.. thanks..?" she replied, bewildered.

"Hn."

"I'm glad you liked it," she continued, following him. "It's a family recipe."

Instead of responding, Sasuke wheeled around, throwing a kunai from above him. Shoving Ame quickly to the ground, he jumped into the air and threw a kunai wrapped with exploding tape to four of the trees around them. The explosion left a small cloud of dust around the area as he picked up Ame and bound from tree to tree hoping for an escape.

Ame bit her covered mouth, softly choking on the cloud of debris he created for their cover.

She grabbed onto his shirt for support as he leapt from tree to tree. An exploding tape kunai zoomed in their direction as Sasuke kicked off of the tree he was on. Ame dared to open an eye to see what was going on, but then changed her mind and buried her face into his shirt, breathing into him.

Sasuke's breath began to get a little harder and his attempts to escape grew faster and faster. They finally reached a cave inside an old maple tree. Sasuke dove in with Ame clinging to him tightly. Panting slightly, he pried her off of him and set her down on the ground. She looked at the now, dirty and somewhat chipped helmet in her right hand.

"Great. Now what?" she mumbled. Covering her mouth, Sasuke put a finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet.

When he removed his finger, he began to start a jutsu he had just learned from Kakashi about cloaking a small area. He gave Ame a small smirk. "I'll be back in a second," he whispered.

Ame's eyes widened as she realized what he was going to do.

"You can't go out there! You'll be killed!" she whispered back frantically. She stretched an arm to grab him, but he swiftly slipped through her grasp.

Under the blaring sun, his bright Sharingan glowed at their attacker. Her frosted raven hair gleamed with a small amount of sweat. Her face showed no emotion and her brow remained in a narrowed determination as she studied her new prey.

"Who are you?" He asked, roughly calm.

"Although it will soon be no concern of yours, my name is Yoshukai HeiLin," the girl's steely voice rumbled.

Sasuke glared as he sent out three more kunai at the girl. Then, "_Kuton_ _no jutsu!"_

HeiLin dodged the ten fireballs coming at her from every angle. She began to get impatient and unsheathed a golden cresent bo-staff with a small blue jewel resting on top of it.

"Enough games," she bellowed. "Give me the girl or die!"

At this, Sasuke smirked. "Fight me, weakling," he retorted.

HeiLin growled as her eyes narrowed to a small slit.

"Very well," she said, icily. She lunged at him, steadily building chakra from within her staff. Leaping out of the way, Sasuke landed on the trunk of a nearby tree. Lunging at him again and again, he kept his dodges short and agile.

Small sparks of electricity began to glow with rage and aggravation as HeiLin persisted in her attacks. Sasuke smirked.

"You know, for someone that's so bent on killing me, you're quite slow," he mocked.

"Oh, I'm just warming up!" she snarled in reply. Stopping her attack for a brief moment, she flew a hundred feet away from her prey. Her power was just enough to kill him; it was just enough to get through him for her master's order.

_If he could see me now, I bet he would be proud,_ she mused to herself. Moving in an attacking position, she began to charge at her target, with full force.

Meanwhile, Sasuke could sense she was coming. Making fast seals, he started his chidori, and began to charge at her with the same brute force.

"This is it. You're finished," he muttered. He readied his fist of a thousand birds.

Target met target, and soon…

"_Chidori!"_

"_Shuurai!"_

…the whole forest was filled with dust and then…silence.


End file.
